BEPIC Black Experiences with Planning in Canada
The Black Experiences with Planning in Canada (BEPIC) partnership seeks to learn from the lived experiences of Black communities and planners in order to explore how planning can play a role in creating more equitable outcomes for Black communities, but also for diverse publics more broadly.
BEPIC is conceptualized by BPP with community and academic partners in the fields of planning, community building, and Black studies, all of whom are committed to racial and spatial justice.
Building on the work already led by Black individuals, community organizations, planners, and other practitioners, BEPIC aims to help strengthen the capacity to remove barriers and advance equitable planning practices when working with Black populations.
Our Main Goals
Ultimately, BEPIC will propose tools grounded in Black knowledge and traditions, which can be adopted by Black communities and planners to preserve and strengthen Black contributions to planning, community-building, and city-making.
Project Phases
Year 1
- Design and plan research activities
- Conduct literature review about Black planning
- Coordinate with research team and community partners
Year 2
- Gather data in three cities (Halifax, Toronto, Montreal)
- Analyze interview, focus group, and survey data
- Develop case studies
Year 3
- Build framework for community-based, Black-led, Black-informed planning practices
- Conduct workshops with community and planners to test framework
By building on the knowledge of Black communities and planners, this research will help challenge dominant planning discourses, address questions of Black exclusion and anti-Black racism in planning, amplify community-led planning practices, promote racial equity and justice, and inform planning pedagogy and the training of future planners, especially emerging Black planners.
Share Your Experience.
Team
Abigail Mariah
Dr. Andrea Roberts
Jodie Laborde
Dr. Magdalena Ugarte
Dr. Sheryl-Ann Simpson
Stephanie Pondamali
Hanaa Ali
Dr. Ren Thomas
James Rhule
Simone Weir
Dr. Leela Viswanathan
Sonelle Crawford
Dr. Beverley Mullings
Sponsors









